Colloidal Silver 101
You may have already heard of colloidal silver, or maybe you’ve seen it in your local health food store…and maybe been seriously confused about what it is exactly. But don’t worry, I’m going to explain exactly why it’s such a powerhouse, and help you understand understand why it’s a total essential in your medicine cabinet and skincare routine.
What is it?
Colloidal Silver is a mineral supplement that is, as the name suggests, derived from silver. It’s essentially a solution of tiny silver particles suspended in water, and it creates an environment where bacteria can’t grow. It’s been used for hundreds of years as a broad-spectrum natural antibiotic, antiviral, anti-fungal, anti-inflammatory and disinfectant. It can literally do it all when it comes to cleaning wounds, fighting viruses, lowering inflammation, boosting immunity and even spot-treating blemishes.
Benefits & How to Use it
Colloidal silver comes in liquid form and can be used in several different ways:
- Try putting a drop in your ear to help with ear infections, or into eyes for pink eye
- Put a drop on your tongue to boost immunity, and fight bacterial infections
- It can work to soothe toothaches because it acts as an anti-inflammatory
- It fights inflammation, whether it’s on your skin or internal
- Use it to clean wounds, like scrapes, scratches or burns
- Spray it into your nose or throat to fight infections
- Apply it topically as a spot treatment for acne, eczema and psoriasis; find it in both our Orange Blossom and Rose Petal Toners! You can also try mixing a few drops into your moisturizer or serum. It’s pretty intense though, so stick to flare-ups, not everyday use. We use a specific percentage in both our Toners so that you are able to get the benefits of colloidal silver daily without any concern.
- It’s known to be a natural remedy against viruses and can be used as a remedy or preventatively for a cold or flu
When buying it, make sure the product is labelled “colloidal silver” or “silver colloid”, and look for 50% or more silver content to get the maximum benefits. It shouldn’t be a clear liquid, but actually silver in colour. Make sure to always follow the dose and duration suggestions made by your provider. But if you’re looking to build a more holistic medicine cabinet this year going in to cold and flu season, colloidal silver will make a great addition!
Julia Gibson is a Certified Nutritional Practitioner, functional foods recipe developer, and write currently based in Toronto. She hopes to inspire and empower others by creating nourishing foods, living a sustainable life, promoting holistic healing and sharing thoughtful writing.